Where to eat like a queen at Royal Hillsborough

Joris Minne

Ribeye of pork in The Parson’s Nose

May 27 2022 04:30 PM

Royal Hillsborough is the north’s jubilee capital and many will be getting as close and personal as they can to royalty with a visit to Hillsborough Castle.

Its breath-taking gardens and parks, its history at the centre of peace-making initiatives (ever since the American revolutionary Benjamin Franklin visited in 1771) and its continuing position as the head of state’s official residence in Northern Ireland, Hillsborough Castle is Ireland’s twin holy grail of modern Irish political history and horticultural excellence.

You can also eat very well in the castle’s public restaurant operated by Yellow Door.

But what of the town and its culinary offer? Hillsborough’s top three restaurants include Hara, The Parson’s Nose and the Plough.

Hara has lifted Hillsborough’s culinary reputation as Wine & Brine has done for Moira, a place worth going out of your way to visit.

A cool and calm little restaurant which has captured hearts and stomachs every since it opened some six years ago, Hara is one of the those gems where the food by husband and wife Andy Turner and Roz Allen has been consistently brilliant. No wonder, they were both lead chefs in Dublin’s Chapter One before they came north. Chapter One now has three Michelin stars.

With good food comes great service managed by Sinead O’Callaghan. I mention this because very sadly, Hara will close its doors at the end of June as its lease expires. Try to get there before June 26 because what Andy and Roz do with crab, lobster, rabbit and herbs and vegetables grown in the royal gardens nearby (they don’t nick them — they have an arrangement with the estate) is unsurpassed.

Hara may have won a few awards but it deserves a lot more recognition. Here’s hoping the restaurant resurfaces somewhere soon. In the meantime they will be operating a Hara at Home service.

The Parson’s Nose, a family favourite with friendly service, popular menus including sourdough pizzas and a party atmosphere, is a quality restaurant with attentive service and wholesome dishes made with quality ingredients by a team which cares.

The restaurant showed a lot of class during a visit a few days ago. Packed with happy families and groups, servers were bringing out pizzas, burgers and lasagnes. Among these were fancier dishes including a rich goat’s cheese and honey parfait with marinated beetroot salad, big and luscious chicken croquettes enriched with Caesar dressing and mounds of Parmesan gratings.

A rib eye of pork had all the magic of good bacon and loin flavours, the brightness of the kale and crunch of broccoli a welcome side show. Pan fried seabass fillets were no less generous astride a voluminous saddle of puy lentil and sweet potato dahl. The accompanying raita and garlic flatbread provided the bass and high notes.

Up the road facing the castle gates is The Plough, a Hillsborough institution as old as that visit by Benjamin Franklin — who knows, he may have nipped in there for a stiffner before having to meet the then Secretary of State for Colonies, Wills Hill — is a higgledy piggledy wonder of cosy corners, outside tables, bars and heart-warming dishes.

There are bar menus, breakfasts, lunches and dinners and the kind of food which will set you up for a full day’s jubilee frolics. Wild garlic pappardelle, Moyallen sweet cured pork chops, Murley rump of lamb and a seriously weighty beef and bone marrow burger are among the offers. Scallops are from Kilkeel, smoked salmon from East Coast Fisheries in Ballyhornan and beef from Glenarm — the provenance tells you this is quality fit for a queen.

Where to eat like a queen at Royal Hillsborough

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